Description

This is basically a direct finish to the crack on the first pitch of X-M and actually finishes at the bolt anchors atop Wide Country.

Follow the X-M crack up the face. When the crack turns from a bomber lieback to fingers and hands is where X-M moves right into the ugly chimney to finish atop the pillar. If you want to do Interceptor, continue up the crack until it peters out at the base of a nice face/scoop.

Place a good TCU here (strenuous) and move up into the face via thin edges. A final crimp moves gets you over the bulge and into the middle of the scoop, where you can drape a sling around a flake for protection. Easier climbing leads up and left to the anchors on Wide Country.

Protection

Standard Eldo rack with an emphasis on finger-hand sized cams and a long sling to drape over a flake.

Just got back from Eldo this morning and climbed this route. What an outstanding pitch! Interceptor epitomizes Eldo climbing. Once you get out of the crack just keep your head in "check" until you can drape a sling over the flake. The moves are all there, just spicey. Three stars for sure. I would recommend this pitch to anyone who climbs this grade at Eldo.

This is probably my favorite pitch on the Bastille -- classic Eldo. I think the only R section is the easy climbing early on. While a fall from the upper face/crux (before slinging the flake) could be big, it would also be nothing but air, in fact, I actually think it is a great pitch to push one's mental barriers on lead.

The second photo of Rob Kepley leading shows the location of the green Alien or similar piece (his highest piece), but one should also note that gear to back it up (a green or red camalot) can be had underneath the flake he's standing on.

Josh and Rob are right, an overlooked classic for sure. On my redpoint, I opted for a red Camalot about a foot below where Rob placed the micro Camalot in the photo, which I skipped. The classic conundrum of more pro or go is encountered.

Those that can onsight I applaud as this un-Eldo gem is tough to decipher.

Stellar climbing that seems to go on forever! This must have been 100 feet to the anchors and none of it boring. While this might be R rated for the first thirty feet (and it's only 5.7 there), after that it is safe with only the chance for a long, clean fall. Another Eldo gem.

I fell a good ways several times onto a red C3 in the green Alien placement mentioned above. I bent the $&%# out of it. I recommend either a flexible cam, like an Alien, or just going with the red C4 that's about a foot below that (I tested the red C4, it's good!).

The beginning is a little scary, and I did a lot of traversing around. It looks like there are two possible ways to go, and of course the other way looks easier than the way you are attempting at the time... a little sketchy. You have to pull a "5.7" move (think the crux of the Bastille Crack) with no gear about fifteen-twenty feet above a bad landing.